Eurovision 2024 Previews Part 5: Australia, Portugal & Luxembourg

No, you don’t need to go and have your eyes checked. Well, maybe you do, I don’t know your life. But you’re not mistaking: it does say Luxembourg there. The tiny Grand Duchy is back, how about them apples! Time for the final batch of Semi 1 contestants, stay tuned for more though.

13. Australia – Electric Fields – One Milkali

The Song: The elevator pitch for this one would probably include descriptions like world peace, tolerance and unity and quite frankly that would make me hurl before even hearing the song. But, and it’s quite a big but, this peace anthem doesn’t feel forced at all and manages to tug the heart strings by simply bringing warmth and a cerebral kind of joy to the table. A nice counter balance to other entries in this semi. It comes from a ‘we are all children of Mother Earth’ point of view and is there a stronger one? None that come to mind. Loving the production and the beat, the clever injections of didgeridoo and the build-up to a catchy chorus that could work extremely well in an arena setting. While the lyrics are really powerful, I feel they’re trying to be a tad too clever for their own good at some points. Having Fleetwood Mac & Janet as a synonym for stars is one thing, having to Google 0.618 could be considered slightly too convoluted. But somehow this sounds universal and yet more Australian than any entry from Down Under that came before, so hats off to them.

Standout line: “To see we don’t own the universe” Sing it louder for the war mongers in the back.

The Voice: Probably my main point of worry here. One of the only points of reference here would be their NF performance in 2019 and that isn’t exactly super reassuring. But that was five years ago, surely they’ll have improved. Right?

The Style: The majority of past Australian entries were excellently staged, which has to bode well for this one. I’m ever so afraid they’ll try to be as clever as some of the lyrics, which could result in too many ideas. But the understated video kinda reassures me on that front, however odd of a choice it may have been.

In one line: No purple cows were harmed during this preview.
PERSONAL TOTAL:
Why it will qualify: The message strikes gold.
Why it won’t qualify: Why is Australia in Eurovision anyway?
Qualifier? It’ll be interesting to see how this will be received. The fan community doesn’t seem to be convinced, so I’m a bit at a loss for now. Heart says yes, head is more apprehensive.
Winner? It’s firmly planted in my current top 5 overall, I fear that might not correlate to reality in May.

14. Portugal – Iolanda – Grito

The Song: Anyone blind guessing which country sent which song would have no issue picking this as the Portuguese entry. And that’s not just because of the beautiful yet somewhat inaccessible Portuguese language. It’s also the moody sense of drama, which has been amped up to eleven here. It makes for a somewhat heavy-handed three minutes, which would be OK if it had a couple of strong hooks to really make it stand out. But it doesn’t. It meanders on, and while the production in the verses is certainly intriguing it never pops out of this cocoon of sadness. Which should feel more empowering, considering the lyrics. A bit too much drama and not enough intrigue.

Standout line: “Ainda lembro quando era pequena / I still remember when I was small” So no one told you life was gonna be this way? *clap clap clap clap*

The Voice: A capella at the start? Yas, queen. No, really: that’s so nerve wrecking, why would you even do that to yourself? Other than that: some nice emoting going on here, though I always feel like I’m waiting for the next level that sadly never comes. But that’s down to the song’s structure rather than iolanda’s capabilities.

The Style: The white outfits, the choreo, the overall mental institution vibe: it’s all quite reminiscent of our own 2015 entry Rhythm Inside, and quite frankly there are worse inspirations within the ESC bubble. It’s different enough to stand on its own, luckily. But is it memorable enough to lift this less accessible song?

In one line: Rolling in the soul down under.
PERSONAL TOTAL:
Why it will qualify: It’s certainly different from anything in this semi.
Why it won’t qualify: Who’s gonna vote for this?
Qualifier? I’m gonna say no for now, but it could totally sneak in.
Winner? If they get into the final, it’ll probably be down in the bottom five somewhere.

15. Luxembourg – Tali – Fighter

The Song: The tiny Grand Duchy is only an almost literal stone’s throw away from where I’m currently sitting, so it should come as no surprise that to my ears this sounds like something our own Angèle could have released in the early days of her booming career. But, you know, less alternative. It’s a bit of a weird experience, this one. It changes rhythm quite a lot, which keeps you on your toes but also causes an effect of never really getting into the flow. The revamp focused on the wrong elements and, surprise, makes for a flatter version so I would scratch it and go back to the initial one. I do adore the fast paced bit in French, and come to think of it the combo of English and French is quite a seamless one. Bonus for me are the lyrics. They are about self-confidence, self-awareness, self-development and above all never giving up. It harmonizes beautifully with my own recent experience, going through some sort of midlife awakening, and it keeps on resonating every time I hear it.

Standout line: “Non mais tu vas où ? / Hold on, where are you going ?” Internal compass, check.

The Voice: That vocal performance in the NF was more than acceptable but needs a bit of polishing. More light and shadow, more confidence in certain parts. I wouldn’t necessarily vocalize full on in those last thirty seconds, for example. Also, the stamina when combining dancing and singing needs to be amped up a bit. I’m not asking for much, am I? I do bow my head for that fast paced French part, even if there’s some dubbing by on track vocals. Don’t get me started on that topic though.

The Style: Listen, I know the song is called Fighter but does that mean we really need you to look like some character from Tekken? Fighting choreography I understand, but that black look was way too harsh for the vibe of the song. Something more colorful would probably work wonders in conveying the power we’re supposed to feel. Maybe purple? Cerulean? That’s all.

In one line: Quel retour, Luxembourg!
PERSONAL TOTAL:
Why it will qualify: Girl Power!
Why it won’t qualify: It’s too confusing.
Qualifier? Borderline, feels like I’m going to lose my mind. Though performing last in this semi should be to their advantage.
Winner? As much as the NF was a nice trial run for hosting the ESC, it doesn’t feel like we’re traveling to Luxembourg next year.

So, who will qualify? Here’s a provisional list, very subject to change however.

Croatia – Lithuania – Poland – Serbia – Ukraine – Australia – Finland – Moldova – Azerbaijan – Luxembourg

CURRENT DIMIVISION STANDINGS

LITHUANIA – AUSTRALIA

AZERBAIJAN – LUXEMBOURG

  POLAND – MOLDOVA

  CYPRUS – SERBIA – CROATIA – SLOVENIA – FINLAND – PORTUGAL

IRELAND – UKRAINE – ICELAND

Tomorrow: Malta, Albania & Greece